Hyatt announced some service changes globally and across all brands. They highlight the intensive customer research, especially regarding womens’ needs, and are making changes to housekeeping, amenities, food offerings, and having items available on hand that guests may need. For housekeeping they’re introducing “communications cards” for housekeeping staff to confirm the room is cleaned, and to offer a mechanism for guest feedback. On business trips I tend to stay for one night or two, so if I need anything addressed feedback would need to be instant and not wait for a comment card. (I don’t do the consultant ‘Monday-to-Thursday’ thing.) But it’s a soft approach that likely makes it easier for some guests to ask for what they want, since they are being asked for the feedback. I’m not sure that being told a room…
Monthly Archives
Monthly Archives for February 2013.
Is the FAA Talking Themselves into Inconveniencing Travelers as Part of the Budget Showdown?
Lots of stories out about how the impending budget sequester will lead to delays in travel mostly as a result of furloughs to air traffic controllers. Here are the cuts that the FAA says it will make if the sequester goes into effect. In a letter to trade groups, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and FAA administrator Michael Huerta outlined these steps that DOT will take to save $600 million from March 1, the date the sequestration would take effect, to Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year: – “Furlough the vast majority of the FAA’s nearly 47,000 employees” by about one day per pay period. – “Eliminate midnight shifts in over 60 towers across the country.” – “Close over 100 air traffic control towers at airports with fewer than 150,000 flight operations or 10,000…
I Hope He Paid With Starbucks Gift Cards Purchased at an Office Supply Store
Man Sets World Record by Buying (and Drinking) at $47 coffee at Starbucks. A customer in the US state of Washington paid US$47.30 for an extra large, otherwise known as vente, Starbucks Frappucino, to secure the world record for the most expensive drink from the coffee house franchise. Beau Chevassus ordered a 52 ounce drink with 48 shots of mocha, soya milk, protein powder, strawberries, two bananas, caramel topping, vanilla bean chips among other ingredients. Of course if it was just about the price of the coffee, and not about the price of coffee at Starbucks, he could have simply had a cup of Kopi Luwak… (HT: uggboy on Milepoint)
Bits ‘n Pieces for February 22, 2013
News and Notes from Around the Interweb: TJ on Miles & Points details his strategy to get $80 cash back purchasing internet domains for $14.95. An interesting find, and while it may even seem to be scalable (doing lots of domains at a profit) I predict that the folks paying out here will find it not economical for them to do so. Shades of the easyCGI shopping portal debacle? Nonetheless some will find it worth playing with, and certainly interesting to watch play out. JonNYC at TravelingBetter.com notes that American has increased the window — from 12 hours to 24 hours — for making $75 same-day confirmed flight changes. That’s a huge improvement that makes changing travel easier, though I still wish the fee was waived for elites. Thousands of View from the Wing readers…
Citibank Will Remain the Issuer of American Airlines Credit Cards After the US Airways Merger
This is just a prediction, it isn’t a fact, but I think the prediction is based on some pretty sound data. I read through American Airlines’ year-end 2012 10-K filing this afternoon and learned several interesting things about the frequent flyer program: In 2011 American reduced revenue by $43 million because of a decrease in the ‘breakage assumption’ of their miles — fewer expired, unused miles. This is an accounting charge that says they expect redemptions to cost them more money than they had anticipated because members weren’t letting their miles lapse. In 2012 they took in less revenue for the sale of miles to third parties than in 2011. I wonder if this was related to the bankruptcy, with folks shying away from the airline’s program or from the airline itself due to operational…
Where Should You Burn Your HHonors Points Before We’re All Left Behind on March 28?
Hilton’s devaluation effects major cities and aspirational resort properties the most — the kinds of hotels that were previously ‘category 7’ but now most frequently category 10 and which even have category 10 high season prices, thus going from 50,000 points per night to as many as 95,000 points per night. And while the changes include ‘5th night free’ for elite members being spun as a new benefit, elites previously received a discount on multi-night rewards which are effectively going away. No more discounts on 4 night stays, for instance, you have to stay exactly 5 nights to get the discount. If you’re looking to burn your HHonors points in a blaze of glory before the category changes go into effect with the March 28 devaluation, then I suggest having a look at the following…
Frequent Traveler University Schedule Posted!
The current iteration of the schedule for Frequent Traveler University in Northern Virginia, April 26-28, is now up on the FTU website. Last I checked there were about 30 tickets left for Frequent Traveler University. There will be 650 people total in attendance, the largest gathering ever of frequent flyers in one place. But not to worry , for folks who wind up shut out and unable to buy a ticket, the tickets are not refundable by they are transferable and I do frequently see folks on Milepoint looking to find a good home to a ticket when a business commitment or family obligation gets in the way of their attending. So al hope won’t be lost once these last handful of tickets sell out. Which will happen very soon. Events begin Friday April 26th…
Points.com Giving Away (3) Million Mile Prizes
Via Pizza in Motion, Points.com is giving away (3) sets of prizes of prizes of 1 million miles each. Really I should have known this because they’re making the offer in line with voting in the Freddie Awards (the annual airline, hotel, and credit card loyalty program awards that I help to organize — several hundred thousand ballots cast already by travelers). Enter just by signing up for Points.com through the contest link, and winners will be able to choose the program in which they win miles from Aeroplan, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, American Airlines AAdvantage Program, Delta SkyMiles, United Mileage Plus, US Airways Dividend Miles, Virgin America, and others. In the past Points.com has offered signup bonuses of 10-20 miles in a program of choice for joining. In some ways then this is like…
Southwest Double Tier Points No Longer Limited to Milwaukee
Southwest is offering double points and double tier qualifying points for travel by May 15. They were already running double points but had limited the double tier qualifying points to Milwaukee flights. That’s been extended nationwide. (If you had already registered for either promotion, you’re already registered for this. Otherwise, iregister.) One change since the original promotion was first rolled out is that since February 14, only flights booked “through Southwest channels” are eligible for these promotions. Most Southwest flights are, to a greater extent than with the legacy carriers, so when I saw it I wasn’t especially concerned. Southwest’s website was one of the very first to hit a billion dollars in sales in a year — not one of the first airlines, one of the very first websites period. They’ve long marketed their…
Starwood Increases Points Prices at 20% of Hotels
Starwood has announced its category changes for 2013 (.pdf). Each hotel in their program is assigned to a category which determines how many points a free night costs, and each year they re-assign hotels to categories based on the hotel’s projected average daily room rate. The new categories go into effect March 5. So we don’t have a lot of notice, but there’s enough time to make bookings now for any hotels that are going to be going up in category (and thus up in price). And that includes speculative bookings, since most award reservations are fairly cancellable, just make sure to cancel within the rules of the reservation if you decide to lock in a lower price now but find you aren’t going to use the reservation after all. And of course once prices…
